Disinfo: The Baltic States continue the persecution of Russian publications and Russian-speaking journalists

Summary

The Baltic states continue their attack on Russian-language journalism. The persecution of Russian publications and Russian-speaking journalists in the Baltics has a purely political motive. Its goal is to fight the forces that are perceived by the Baltic authorities as a threat to national security.

At the same time, it is unfair to exclusively denounce the Baltic authorities. In the end, their activities completely fit into the most fashionable and current trends in the West. The global media purge of dissent has become a common trend there, especially in the US, and the traditions of free speech are quickly forgotten.

However, this will not fundamentally solve the problem. You will not be able to completely suppress and silence inconvenient and "wrong" opinions, when behind them is a significant part of society, millions of people.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation message about the Baltic States, portraying governments in the Baltics as hostile towards the Russian media. The pro-Kremlin media regularly accuses the political elites of the Baltic States of Russophobia and the implementation of anti-Russian policies.

In the “Freedom of the press 2020” ranking (by Reporters Without Borders) Estonia is on 14th place, Latvia on 22nd place, Lithuania on 28th place. The region is not monolithic. Estonia belongs to the group of states where the situation is evaluated as “good”, the situation in Latvia and Lithuania is “fairly good”. Russia holds in this ranking 149th position, the situation of media freedom in the country described as “bad”.

In the “Freedom in the World” ranking (by Freedom House) Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were evaluated as free countries. Russia belongs to the group of non-free countries.

See similar cases claiming that the Baltic states continuously obstruct the work of the Russian media; that Russian media are being discriminated in Baltic states; that There are clear violations of the principles of freedom of speech in Estonia; that Suppression of media freedom is norm in the Baltic states; that the Baltic states are persecuting the Russian media; that The persecution of the Russian media in Latvia is a punitive action of Russophobic nature; and that the prosecution of Baltnews and Sputnik Latvia is merely Russophobia.

As for the claim on the pressure on Russian media in Western countries and limited freedom of speech, read a further debunk here.

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  • Reported in: Issue 240
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 31/03/2021
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, US, Lithuania
  • Keywords: Media, Sputnik, Freedom of speech, Baltic states, Russophobia
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Mar 30, 2021
Disproof

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